The managing director of the new company is Wendy Wen, who has been with Messe Frankfurt for many years, holding managerial positions since 2003.

Since November 2012, Wen has been senior general manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd. Together with her deputy Wilmet Shea, Wen also is responsible for the Textiles & Textile Technologies and Consumer Goods & Leisure business fields at Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd.

The headquarters of the new subsidiary are in Guangzhou. As well as its head office in Hong Kong, Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd. has more offices in Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen. The company also is present in Taiwan (Taipeh).

This means that Messe Frankfurt is represented extensively throughout Asia. Wolfgang Marzin, president and CEO of Messe Frankfurt, said, “Setting up the new subsidiary in Guangzhou is another key strategic element in our efforts to expand our market share in China.”

Guangzhou Li Tong Messe Frankfurt Co Ltd. currently is organising two established trade fairs in Guangzhou: Toy & Hobby China and Baby & Stroller China. The aim of the new joint venture is to expand trade fairs and to increase their international component.

With Chinese industry association GDTA, Messe Frankfurt has an experienced partner. Founded in 1988, the association has organised the toy trade fair since the early 1990s and the event has grown almost tenfold over the past 25 years.

In 2010, the parallel trade fair for baby needs was launched.

The next events are scheduled to take place April 8-10 in the Poly World Trade Center in Guangzhou and will be organised by Guangzhou Li Tong Messe Frankfurt Co Ltd. for the very first time.

More than 1,400 exhibitors have confirmed their participation in the upcoming editions, while the exhibition area will increase by 50 percent from last year to 75,000 square meters in 2015.

The appointment of Wen as managing director of the new subsidiary and of her deputy Shea marks a further increase in the proportion of female top managers in the Group.

Partner Voices

The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority’s Public Safety Team at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC) and the Hynes Convention Center (Hynes) have taken their experiences to develop a comprehensive crisis management and emergency preparedness training program.